


Trapped in the Web

by thoughtsthatfester



Category: The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (2015)
Genre: F/M, Post-Break Up
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-30
Updated: 2016-09-30
Packaged: 2018-08-18 18:12:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,085
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8171074
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thoughtsthatfester/pseuds/thoughtsthatfester
Summary: Following their break-up, Gaby calls Illya for help. He comes running.





	

“Zdravstvuyte,” he answers, bracing himself for a scolding from Oleg or orders to return to Moscow. While he’s been in contact with his KGB handler, it’s been nearly two months since he’s returned for a mission with them. 

Instead he’s greeted by a familiar female voice. 

“Illya? I need you to come over right now,” Gaby cries. 

“What is wrong?” His voice betrays his fear. Perhaps Oleg has not called because he’d decided to pay Gaby a visit instead. “Are you okay?” 

“No! There’s a spider the size of a rat in my shower!”

He lets out a groan of relief and annoyance. “You are an adult. You are a trained operative. I think you can take care of one spider.”

“Please, Illya,” she whines. “I’m terrified of spiders. Please, Illya,” she begs, her voices taking on a throatiness that he’s never been able to resist. 

“Fine. I will come now,” he huffs but breaks into a small smile after he’s hung up the phone. He’s seen little of Gaby lately. Things have been complicated between them, but even now he knows she knows he’d do anything for her.

They’d been in Argentina when it began, once again hunting down a group of Nazis and once again playing a couple. After too much champagne and ‘mission critical’ displays of physical affection as part of their cover they’d crossed the line they’d been toeing for months. It was as if the floodgates had broken, an overwhelming surge of feeling and feelings.

When they returned to London he’d told her that what happened between them was a mistake. But then she’d kissed him to keep him from leaving and he didn’t. They spent the day in bed before they were sent off on another mission. One turned into two and then two turned into three. By the time they’d returned to London once more they’d hooked up on three continents. 

And then he’d made the difficult choice to end things for good. They were getting too close, too entangled and things would only become more complicated for the both of them. If he were stronger then maybe they could have continued, but he’d been weak. It wasn’t just sex for him. He found himself starting to love her and that wasn’t safe for either of them. It’s still not entirely safe, but it’s safer to love her from afar than to let himself get drawn in by her siren’s call. 

At least he’d ended things at a good time. Gaby had been put into an intensive language course to prepare for their next mission in France. He and Napoleon too had to brush up on their French but with their varying levels of experience, they boys had been placed into a different course than Gaby. They had seen each other in passing but they hadn’t been alone together since he ended it. It was for the best. 

Gaby’s door was open so he let himself in. She was seated on the couch, arms crossed and pouting. Her legs were propped up on the coffee table, as if on display for him. She had on a short black skirt and what appeared to be a man’s shirt. It was not one of his. A new lover’s perhaps, a way to taunt him, maybe even the reason she called him to get rid of the spider and not Napoleon. She wanted to show him she’d moved on.

“It’s in the bathroom. Please kill it,” she begs and he realizes he’s been staring, distracted by her legs.

“There is no need to kill an innocent spider,” he says, his voice harsher than it needs to be. “I will set it free.”

“Fine. Just get it out of here.”

He grabs a cup and plate from the kitchen and pretends not to notice that her eyes have followed him across the flat. He can feel her stare. 

He finds the spider on the shower wall and catches it easily. It’s not quite the size of a rat like Gaby claimed on the phone but it is one of the largest spiders that he’d ever seen. If he didn’t know better, he would have thought it belonged in a pet store. 

“Make sure you free it far from here. I don’t want it coming back.”

“I can handle spider,” he says. 

He lets it out on the patch of grass across from her flat. If it wants to get back in Gaby’s shower it will have to cross the street and climb three flights of stairs. He knows he must return upstairs and return her dishware, but he must fortify himself to face her once more. 

“Hello, Illya,” a voice calls from across the street, interrupting his thoughts. “It’s nice to see you.”

“Hello, Mrs. Brown,” he smiles. “Do you need help with your groceries?” he asks, crossing to join her on the sidewalk outside the building’s entrance. 

“Thank you,” she smiles handing him her bag. “What a gentleman you are.”

“It is nothing,” he says.

“I haven’t seen you in a while. I’m sure Gaby has missed you.”

He sighs. “Gaby and I are no longer together. She just needed me to come over and catch a spider for her.”

“Is that so?” she asks, with a sly grin. “You know, she got rid of a spider from my flat just last week.”

Illya does not reply, merely opens the door for her and deposits the groceries on her table. He bids her goodbye and sets off to Gaby’s to return her cup and plate. He has a better understanding now. She is taunting him, but not in the way he thought. 

“Thank you,” she says as he places his tools in the sink. “It’s a bit embarrassing, I know, but I was too afraid to capture it myself.”

“It is okay,” he replies. She’s looking up at him through her dark, thick lashes. If he doesn’t speak now he’s at risk of losing his voice. “How are your lessons going?”

“Fantastique,” she answers. “Allez-vous rester pour boire un verre?”

“I think this is not good idea.” 

“I suppose you’re right,” she sighs. 

“But Gaby, if you find any more spiders I will come and catch them for you.”

She nods and he rushes out the door before he does something stupid or she kisses him and makes him stay like before. 

 

 

 

 

She calls him three times over the next two weeks. He comes running every time. He misses her too.

**Author's Note:**

> inspired by a post break-up au on tumblr:
> 
> "you keep calling me over to get rid of spiders from your apartment and i'm pretending i don't know you're not afraid of them at all because i miss you too"


End file.
